Needle Tatting Practicing the Double Stitch

You will need thread, a tatting needle, scissors, and maybe a needle threader. Please bear in mind that tatting needles are different from regular needles. The shank of the needle and the end with the eye should be the same diameter. The eye of the needle may not be larger or the stitches will not slide off the needle. The point of the needle should be dull. Be certain that the diameter of the thread you choose matches as closely as possible the diameter of the needle.

If you are just beginning to needle tat, please review the article, "Needle Tatted Double Stitch."
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1740.asp
On that page you will find photos 1 - 4 demonstrating the technique of wrapping the double stitch.

Begin your practice of the needle tatting technique with a cut length of thread approx. 1 1/2 yds long. Thread one end through the eye of the needle and pull about 1/2 yd through the eye. With the needle held in the right hand and with the thumb on the bottom, position four fingers on the opposite side Now holding the needle so that the eye of the needle is on the right hand side, take the tail of the long end of the thread and bring it up to the middle of the needle. Place the tail end under the thumb so that a loop is formed by the tail going down and back up to the right. The thumb is the pinching point and will be in the middle of the loop.

5. Make a left facing loop and slide over the point; make a right facing loop next

6. Pull on the tail on the left side until the ds tightens up to the chopstick; note the space of thread left between the old ds and the new ds

7. Slide the new ds along the chopstick until it touches the old ds; note how the space of thread left now peeks out in a small loop, or "picot"

8. Practice more ds and more picots until you feel comfortable wrapping them on the tatting needle

9. If you make a mistake, simply slide the work off the point and start again; note that if you work too close to the point the ds will "jump" off the needle in a wild bid for freedom

When you are comfortable with the wrapping on double stitches onto the tatting needle, you are ready to turn the double stitches and picots into tatted lace.